Ashland expediting TAP water line

The Ashland City Council unanimously approved the first step in expediting the construction of the Talent-Ashland-Phoenix water line to bring water to town in case of drought this summer.

Vickie Aldous

The Ashland City Council unanimously approved the first step in expediting the construction of the Talent-Ashland-Phoenix water line to bring water to town in case of drought this summer.

On Tuesday night, the council authorized an emergency procurement of engineering services for the project, sidestepping standard bidding procedures for design work.

The city will contact four to five engineering firms about the project, city staff said.

Under an expedited schedule, the water line — also known as TAP — could be finished by the end of August or in September, staff said.

"If it's done in August, that would be fantastic," Councilor Rich Rosenthal said.

Earlier plans called for building the water line in 2015.

The pipeline project is estimated to cost $2 million to $2.3 million, staff said.

The pipeline already stretches from Medford to Talent.

When extended to Ashland, it will provide 1.5 million gallons of water per day for emergency use, supplementing Ashland's regular water supply that comes from the Ashland Watershed. The TAP line can provide a peak of 3 million gallons of water per day, city staff said.

Ashland also treats Talent Irrigation District water to use as potable water when Ashland Watershed supplies run low.

In years past, city officials debated building the TAP line to provide regular supplemental water for Ashland.

However, a water master plan recommended by the Ashland Water Advisory Committee and approved by the city council in 2012 calls for using the TAP line only for emergencies.

The full costs of having a TAP line to provide supplemental water on a regular basis would have been $12 million, according to 2012 estimates.

Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-479-8199 or vlaldous@yahoo.com. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.